Afep Pigeon

The afep pigeon (Columba unicincta), also known as the African woodpigeon or grey woodpigeon, is a member of the family Columbidae, native to the African tropical rainforest from Sierra Leone east to Uganda. == Taxonomy == The afep pigeon was described by the American ornithologist John Cassin in 1860 from a specimen collected in West Africa from the Ogooué River, Gabon. He coined the binomial name Columba unicincta. The specific epithet combines the Latin uni- "one-" and cinctus "banded". The English name "afep" is the word for a pigeon in the Bulu language of Cameroon. The species is monotypic. Its genetic relationship to other species in the genus has not yet been tested; morphological traits suggest it belongs to the woodpigeon group comprising the common wood pigeon C. palumbus, Bolle's pigeon C. bollii, and Trocaz pigeon C. trocaz. == Description == The afep pigeon is 35–36 cm (13.8–14.2 in) length and weighs between 356–490 g (12.6–17.3 oz). The sexes are similar. It has a pale grey hind neck, pinkish-grey body, and dark grey wings; the tail has a broad white bar and a blackish tip. The throat and belly are white. The eyes and orbital rings are red. This pigeon…